Another Comfortable Silence
by TheLestrangeMistress
Summary: Theo goes somewhere to be alone, but ends up with company.


**This was for Gelsey in the rarepair_shorts Wishlist Event.**

Theodore Nott could not quite believe the direction his life had taken after the war had ended.

His father, of course, had been sentenced to Azkaban for his role in the war, but as he had not participated in any illegal activities no charges had been brought against him. It hadn't stopped the general wizarding population from spreading rumours about his involvement, or shunning him though.

It was after one of the times this happened in Hogsmeade that he walked towards the Shrieking Shack so he could be alone, but found that someone else was already there.

Theo would have been able to recognise the brown, bushy hair of Hermione Granger anywhere after seeing it for six years at Hogwarts. At one time he would have called out insults to her and laughed, but he had grown up since then. The war had changed him like it had many others.

She must have heard him approach as she turned and looked around until her eyes fell on him.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked him critically.

"I was planning on coming here to think, but the spot has obviously been taken," Theo replied and turned to leave.

"You can stay if you want. I won't bother you if you don't want to talk," she said softly.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione said nodding.

Theo walked closer to her and the shack and conjured a blanket to sit on.

"Do you want to sit down?" he asked gesturing to the empty space next to him.

"Thank you," Hermione replied and sat down softly.

The two of them sat in silence for a while taking in the scenery. At first it was awkward, but it eventually became comfortable.

Theo was just thankful that Granger wasn't treating him as if he had the plague. It was a relief to know that someone in the wizarding world had some sense.

"I heard what people have been saying to you," she said quietly breaking the silence. "You shouldn't listen to them. They have no idea what you've been through."

"If only they all thought like you," he replied trying to keep his emotions in check.

Theo didn't want to admit just how much what they said affected him. He was used to keeping his feelings to himself as his father had told him that it was weak to show emotion.

"I don't think many people realise just how hard people like you and Malfoy had it. They don't realise the situations that you were put in; not that I know very much about it at all. I just know that sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils," Hermione said furrowing her brow.

"What are you thinking about?" Theo asked her gently as he didn't want Granger to think that he was prying into her life.

"The fact that everyone around me is so swallowed up by their grief that they can't see mine. Don't get me wrong, I love Harry and the Weasley's, and I'm sad that Fred died, but so did my parents. I went to all the trouble of trying to make them safe and they died on their way to Australia," Hermione replied choking on her words at the end.

"I'm sorry," Theo said sympathetically.

"I just feel like I can't talk about them around my friends, because every time I do the subject gets changed. It's like they're not important," Hermione said trying to calm her emotions.

Theo shook his head.

If there was one thing he didn't understand it was Grangers relationship with Potter and the Weasley's. It seemed that all they did was take and never give back. She should have been able to discuss her parent's deaths with them without mentioning Fred Weasley's death, or changing the subject.

They lapsed into another comfortable silence for about another hour until Hermione said that she should be leaving.

"Thank you, Nott," she said as she stood up.

"What for?" he asked slightly confused.

"For listening to me and for letting me share your blanket."

"It's no problem, Granger. I'm just glad that you didn't harangue me like everyone else," he replied with a hint of a smile.

"They should be ashamed of themselves. All of us have suffered no matter what side we were on, or supported." Hermione said fiercely.

It was odd, but Theo felt comforted in knowing that someone, even if it was Hermione Granger, would stand up for him in the wizarding world.


End file.
